theninjagoose

  "I 't believe you got a boon!" Beck gushed as they walked swiftly away from the Pace. "An insanely powerful boon too!"

  "I think we all owe the goddess Nemesis our thanks and prayers." Twil ented. "As the perfect embodiment of justice, she ot be swayed by mortal affes. However, her intervention on Shiloh's behalf is something I believe we all appreciate deeply."

  "You're absolutely right." Elnor said. Her voice was still thick with emotion from the turmoil of the day. What a long day it had been, too. They had set out that m only to collect Bed then head off on an adventure, ahey were, walking through the rapidly darkening streets of Chattery without a room to stay in for the night.

  "How about the other curses Ashleigh got, though?" Ara ughed sfully. "Our patroy cursed her with a limp dick, and Akeso basically crippled her tanking ability."

  "She's going to have a rough life ahead of her." Shiloh murmured, uo rid his ears of her screams or his eyes of the scars across her g face. He was trying desperately not to think of Elnor in her pce. Teically speaking, Elnor had legally dohe same thing Ashleigh had, even if she had been far gentler.

  "She deserves every sed of it." Beck replied coldly.

  "Doesn't it bother you how thhly her life has been ruihough?" Shiloh asked, looking at his friends. None of them would hold his gaze except Twil, who responded with icy fire in her voice.

  "Shiloh, that woman is lucky to be alive. You heard the wgivers. Ohey knew what she'd doo you was an act of viotion, they sentenced her to death. Your own mercy is the only reasoill has breath in her lungs, and that is a mercy that none of us would have exteo her. She will live a cursed life, but she will live. If she is wise, she may even e to terms with what she's done and be able to find some measure of pead joy in the passion you showed her today."

  "It still feels wrong." Shiloh muttered. Twil's points were all ohat he was uo refute, but his stomach tur the idea of anyone being permaly scarred and cursed because of him.

  This is not your burden to bear, Shiloh Sutton. A new voice echoed in his ears, and he suddenly stopped walking to listen. The remorse you feel for others is a most endable trait. The fact that you have empathy even for those who have wronged you, especially in such a heinous manner, is a testament to the good nature of your heart. However, the punishments inflicted upon Ashleigh Coldwater are not yours to sed-guess or pin about.

  The immortal courts agreed that what was doo her was just. Your earthly courts made their own decision, after you interveo show her mercy. You have refused to take your own vengeance upon her, but you should not harber or rese for those that had their fair pensation for her crimes. If you do, you will never heal from these wounds.

  "Lady Akeso?"

  Yes, child. I am no expert on the w or on justice, but I am the expert on healing. It would be wise of you to heed my cil in this matter.

  "But how is she-"

  It is no longer your , Shiloh Sutton. There are tless people, i people, who live much harder lives than the one fag her. You ot save them all, nor should you try to, lest it distract you from being the man you have bee here to be. Let. It. Go.

  "Yes, Lady Akeso." Shiloh responded. "Thank you, for everything you have done for me."

  The goddess' tone softe his earhanks. You are wele. I am pleased to see that Aphrodite was not merely boasting of her avatar. You truly do have thankfulness and passion beyond the ken of mortal men. Fare thee well, Shiloh Sutton.

  As her voice drifted away, Shiloh became aware of the women staring at him.

  "Lady Akeso?" Ara asked.

  "Um... yeah. She wao tell me to stop dwelling on Ashleigh's fate." Shiloh responded, a blush rising in his cheeks. He didn't ask to be given so much attention from the gods, after all. He was merely trying to do what was right, and had been the victim of a horrid crime.

  "The goddess of healing just spoke to you?" Elnor's voice was tinged with disbelief.

  "Yeah. She said... well, she said a lot, but the main point was to not burden myself with regret over what happeo Ashleigh, and to let it go so I could heal."

  "This isn't the first time you've spoken to a goddess, is it?" Twil observed acutely.

  "No." Shiloh responded, and Ara and Beck's mouths fell open. "Aphrodite has spoken to me a few times, and Nemesis spoke to me earlier today on the way to the healers."

  "Shiloh, I don't think you uand the enormity of what you are saying." Elnor said softly. "It is incredibly rare for anyone on Glitnir, even an avatar, to speak with the gods outside of a skill or a vision. It would be uo tell anyone else that you have spoken not only to your own beor, but to oddesses as well."

  "What do you mean, on Glitnir?" Beck asked, drawing the whole versation to a screeg halt. "You said that like he's nlitnir."

  Shiloh looked at his party member. "I'm not. I am from a world called Earth and, when I died there, Aphrodite reinated me here on Glitnir. I've only been a resident of this world for about a week."

  "Oh." Beck replied, seeming to be lost for words. "So... I guess all those stories about avatars from different worlds are true, huh?"

  "It would appear so." Ara ented dryly. "Personally, I don't really care where he's from. It's not going to stop me from loving him."

  This ent, too, drew the versation to a stop. All eyes turned on Ara who, moments ter, seemed to realize her mouth had run ahead of her brain. She flushed the most spectacur shade of red and looked at her feet.

  "I love you too." Shiloh's simply stated words made the brue's head snap up so fast she appeared to have kinked her neck.

  "Y-you do?" She asked softly.

  "Of course I do. I love you, and I love Elnor, and I love my Mistress Twil." Shiloh said, a grin turning up the er of his mouth as he saw the palest imitation of a blush color Twil's cheeks. He was fident that Twil would hahe embarrassment much better than Ara could, and he was right. His words drew the attention away from Ara's startlingly frank admission and gave new life to the versation.

  "Mistress Twil, is it?" Beck asked with a raised eyebrow.

  "Only to those who are miwil responded with her usual ft tohen looked directly at Shiloh. "And if you are insistent on making a public spectacle of it, I think you ought to be wearing the proof."

  "Gdly, Mistress." Shiloh responded. He stepped up to Twil and k. She materialized the colr and neckce. Shiloh heard Ara and Beicker and Elnor draw in a sharp breath, but he had eyes only for Twil in that moment. She locked her eyes with his as she slowly locked her love around his neck. Then she pced the neckce bearing the key around her own neck, and him. He rose to his feet, and kissed her brow.

  "Gods damn, Shy." Ara breathed. He turned around to see her, Bed Elnor all breathing a little heavier than was necessary. Their eyes were dited, and Shiloh could see the barest hint of a bulge in the front of Elnor's pants.

  "That was so fug hot." Beck agreed. "And that colr is so perfe him." She said to Twil, who gave her a rare, small smile.

  "Thank you. I had it ade on a rush, but it was worth every copper." Twil responded with a touch of pride in her voice.

  "Did you see what's written on it?" Ara asked.

  "No! Let me see!" Beck whined, and Shiloh ughed before turning around to let her read "Mine" written in the gold stitg across the back of the bck leather.

  "Oh my..." Elnasped, having shuffled over to read the colr as well.

  "So, Shy, do you think you have enough neck for a colr for each of us?" Ara asked with a smirk.

  "I don't know, but we find out if you want to." Shiloh responded evenly. "Otherwise you might have to take turns."

  "On a more pressing note, we o find a pce to sleep tonight." Elnor said as she tried to fight down her growing arousal.

  "That's a good point. Beck checked out of the Guild and we closed our tab with the tavern. We'll o get moving or the inns will be booked up." Shiloh replied, following Elnor as she began to lead them through the streets of Chattery once more.

  While they walked, Ara and Beck gradually drifted back, murmuring to each other. Shiloh couldn't make out what they were saying, but he was fident they were up to no good. Or, depending on your point of view, something very good.

  They ended up back at the tavern they had beeing from but, when Elnor tried to approach the ter, Ara grabbed her arm.

  "I've got this." She said and ambled over with fidence. She had a quick discussion with the tavern keeper, who shot many gnces back at the party by the doors, then rummaged beh the ter and produced a key. Ara paid for it and motioned for the others to follow her up the stairs. Instead of leading them to rooms like they'd previously had, however, she took them all the way to the end of the hall and up another flight of stairs.

  Ohird floor, there was a small nding and a wall with only one door. Ara unlocked it with the key given to her, and swung the door open for the rest to see. Elnor and Twil immediately entered in awe, but Beck grabbed Shiloh's arm and held him back. Ara wi them a inside, shutting the door behind her.

  "What is it?" Shiloh asked, looking the foxgirl in the eyes. Her emotions were such a mess he wasn't able to pick a single o.

  "Well, I was talking to Ara and... Gods, I feel like an idiot." She took a deep breath and looked at him fiercely. "I want in. Whatever harem-ish situation you've got going on with those three, I want to be a part of it. I don't care if I'm the bitch for your other lovers or if you o haze me or whatever and I know that this isn't the best time with everything you've just been through and I don't expeything to happen immediately and I don't even know if you're ied like that but Ara said I should talk to you and then she said she was getting us the suite instead of separate rooms and I just want you to know I'm into you and the others and I don't want to waste time with the whole I-like-him-and-he-likes-me-but-we're-both-too-awkward-to-admit-it thing and oh my gods I'm rambling..."

  Beck said all of this very fast and in one breath, petering out towards the end as the embarrassment rose while her oxygen fell. Her ears flicked aail made a fast swish behind her. Shiloh looked at her, stunned. When his brain finally caught up to what she was saying, a grin broke out across his face.

  "Of course I'm ied in you like that, Beck. You're smoking hot, funny, intelligent, and you literally just saved my fug life. How could I not be into you?"

  She let out a huge sigh of relief, and her ears and tail calmed.

  "You are right, though." Shiloh tinued softly, looking at the floor. "Despite Ara getting this room for us to share, I don't think anything is going to happen for a while. I really enjoy the pany of my lovers, and I'm sure I'll enjoy when I finally get to add you to that list, but I just... I ime. I hope you uand that."

  Beck pced a finger under his and raised it. Before his eyes had met hers, she captured his lips in a chaste kiss. It didn't st very long at all, but it succeeded in snapping him out of his headspace.

  "Of course I uand. You take all the time you need, Shy. I promise none of us will get to the point of needing you for satisfa, even if I have to sacrifice my own body for their use." She let out a feigned, exaggerated sigh with the st few words.

  Shiloh snorted. "Oh yeah, I'm sure that would be really tragic for you. I 't think of a fate worse thaing railed by three geous women who love making their partner cum their brains out."

  Beck pouted, then grinned. "Well, you've got my number. 't pretend I'm not eager to get my hands ohers. Do you think Elnor and Twil would be-"

  "Twil, yes. Elnor, you'll o get to know her first." Shiloh informed her suctly. "Elnor and I haven't even really... been together. Not in a true sense of the word."

  Beck raised an eyebrow, prompting Shiloh to sigh and expin.

  "She's not someone who is as fortable with all of this as the rest of us. She reizes everyone's needs, and she doesn't really take offeo it happening around her, but she o move at her own pace."

  "I kind of picked up on that already, but I think there's a story here you're avoiding." Beck grinned.

  Shiloh sighed again. "When they first met me, El didn't want anything to do with me. At least, she never let on that she did. I think she was also embarrassed about their nature as Thirds. Whatever her reasoning, she didn't hook up with me like Ara and Twil did, and she wasn't able to find time to take care of herself without exposing herself to me."

  Beck's expression grew cold as she realized where this story was heading. Her ears fttened against her head and an unscious, very quiet hiss escaped her lips.

  "When we finally made it to Chattery, we had a few too many drinks to celebrate and that night, she... well... she took me. I told her not to, but she was so drunk I don't even know if she realized she was awake and not dreaming. It felt absolutely amazing for me, and I loved every sed of it once she had started. Whe up the m, however, she was so ashamed of what she'd dohat she ran away from me before we could talk about anything. Beck, Beck wait!"

  The foxgirl turned and yahe door open, not heeding Shiloh's call. She couldn't believe that Elnor would take advantage of someone as sweet as Shiloh. He was so gentle and kind that he eve bad for the animal that had nearly killed him, so obviously he wouldn't have punished his friend for a drunken mistake. Beck wasn't going to let it slide, though.

  Ara, Twil and Elnor were all standing at the foot of an enormous bed, talking in hushed tones. When Beck stormed in, they all turned and saw the look of fury on her face. Elnor paled, and Ara and Twil both g her. That was all the firmation Beeeded. She marched right up to the three of them, pulled her fist bad threw a haymaker...

  ...right into Shiloh's face.

  "Fug hell!" He shouted, grabbing at his newly broken nose. Beck had shattered it with her enharength, and knocked several of his teeth out. "Why the fuck do you people keep trying to do this shit? Fuck, that hurts!"

  Beck stared at him in shod horror for a moment. He had jumped in front of her pund taken it on the nose for a woman who had abused him. Then she mentally shook herself and activated a skill.

  Willing Sacrifice

  When an ally within sixty feet of you is hit by an attaay activate this skill to trahe damage ofthat attack to your own body, bypassing all resistances.

  Beck cried out in pain as she felt her own punch colliding with her faone of her defensive skill mattered when she used this, and she got to feel the full force of her own wrath visited upon her own body. Hubris at its fi. She ched her hand over her fad forced her whimpers not to escape her throat while her tail flicked violently bad forth at the pain.

  Shiloh, meanwhile, was shocked to find his injuries pletely gone in a split sed. He gasped in arm when he saw the dition Beck was in, though. As he stepped forward to examine her, he heard Ara let out a mirthless chuckle.

  "She pulled a Twil! Got yht in the kisser."

  "Ara, this really isn't the time for jokes." Elnor said softly.

  "Oh e on, she only hurt herself. She's a tough girl, I see it." Ara said with a grin. "Shy, do you think El and I should both take a shot at you, just so we've all do?"

  "Enough, Ara." Shiloh said with uncharacteristic iron in his voice. Her grin faded at once. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." Shiloh tinued in a geone. "She's really nailed herself here, though. How much HP did you lose, Beck?"

  Beck checked her status sheet.

  BeckQuickfootCss: Bul: 400/450Level: 14MP: 10/10 Strength: 20Ara: 1Finesse: 14Divine: 1Fortitude: 45Resistance: 30Endurance: 27Focus: 1 "Fifty." She groaned around her hand.

  "That was quite a devastating attack." Twil observed.

  "The skill I used makes it bypass by defenses." Beck replied, wing as her injured mouth moved.

  "Well, I guess we're going to move a bit quicker thaher of us anticipated, then." Shiloh said, a determined look on his face.